The invention relates generally to a method of repairing vehicle axle housings and more specifically to a method of repairing axle housings for large vehicles and heavy equipment which fracture into two sections generally along a plane perpendicular to the axis of the axle housing.
The drive line components of large trucks and particularly off road vehicles, such as construction and earth moving equipment, are well designed, massive and thus expensive. Notwithstanding careful design and massive execution, the drive line components of such vehicles and equipment such as prop shafts, axles, bearings and housings for these components are subjected to service which can only be described as rough and oftentimes accurately described as brutal. Hence, such components occasionally fail. Accompanying such failure is frequently an extended period of downtime. The obvious cost associated with such breakdown is that of the actual replacement part and the service time necessary to remove and replace it which, because of their relative rarity, will be significant. An even greater expense may accrue not from the actual repair but rather from the downtime from having such a machine out of service for a even a few days. It is against this background that the present inventor has sought approaches which minimize both actual repair expense and the expense associated with vehicle downtime.
The reconstruction of failed or broken vehicle components is addressed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,739,119 to Blakeslee teaches a method of reclaiming automobile axles. A similar repair method relating to drive line bell housings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,778 to Gerner.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,732 teaches a method of repairing the damaged ends of vehicle axles. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,844,322 to Flowers et al. and 4,997,321 to Adams both teach methods of repairing sections of elongate articles such as piping or tubing.
From the foregoing patents, it is apparent that many aspects of vehicle axle repair have been addressed. However, the specific difficulties of repairing, for example, an axle configuration having a drive shaft extending therethrough have neither been addressed nor resolved. Hence, improvements in the art of vehicle axle repair are both possible and desirable.